The National tribune., 1887-06-30
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Practical Duties Tsnght by Q Study Of the Tntsr.
national sunday school Lesson Appointed for
JaIy 10. st. Matt, s:I Is-28.

national sunday school Lesson Appointed for
JaIy 10. Nc. Astt-, :ls-2l
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures
Indicated aboye.l
SUBJECT: THE FLIGHT INro EaYPr OF THE
INFANT JESUS.
The wise men having ascertained the place
Of abode of Jesus, set out for Bethlehem, six
miles south Of Jerusalem. We would suppose
they went by night. since they were guided by
the star. which reappeared. Having wOrshiped
the Babe and made their presents, they left the
house. HerOd had ordered them to return to
Jerusalem and make report Of their visit TO the
Messiah. We do not learn they agreed with
Herod to meet him again. Doubtless they, in
their innOeeney, not knowing the wicked in
tentiOas of the King. would have gone back
and told him the whole story had not God
warned them of the danger TO the Babe and
directed them not to 90 TO Jerusalem. 1t was
evident such slight would anger the Jealous,
cruel HerOd. With murder in his heart he
would bring vengeance upon Bethlehem. In
such case the infant Christ would be in peril
Hence God warned Joseph. bidding him at
once remove the mother and Child into Egypt
Egypt was q very dt place for refuge. Is was
independent of herod- 1t was not too far to
go. 1t bOrdered up to within about 20 miles
of Bethlehem. HerOd's rule extending only TO
the River Sihon. Passing that line, Joseph
was out of the jurisdiction of Herod. Quite n
number of Jews were settled in Egypt, who
might receive and help Joseph and Mary with
the Babe. IL was 10 the south Of Jerusalem
and hence their going would not necessitate
their nearing the residence of Herod. All the
roads toward Egypt were well travelled and
offered convenient route. The distance from
Bethlehem to Cairo is about PA miles Three
miles from Cairo the traveller is shown Old
Cairo. There, in Greek convent, you are
taken into room in which 10 is said Mary and
the infant Christ remained while in Egypt. At
HeliOpolis. six miles northeast from Cairo are
a grand old sycamore and natural fountain.
1t is said Joseph. Mary and the Babe repOsed
under the one and were refreshed by the other.
The tree is on ground formerly owned BY the
IsthmGs Of Suez Canal Co. It was to be cut
down. but the Empress Eugenie purchased il
and provided for it guardian.
Paintings, based on tradition and on Eastern
customs, generally represent the mother and
Babe on an ass and Joseph afOot. Night was
chosen for the start from Bethlehem for the
sake of secrecy, and night was sIso selected for
travel on into Egypt so as to escape the great
heat Of the day in that hot country. Ii was
necessary to hasten from Bethlehem from the
fact it was so near Jerusalem Joseph probably
set out on the very night Of the command.
Perhaps the Magi came. visited and departed,
Joseph dreamed, and the three left for Egypt
all on the same night. Thus the wise men,
coming and going at night, would not attract
the attention Of the Bethlehemites 40 calling
special notice to the Infant and his location.
We observe it was an advantage at that time
to Joseph that his family was quite obscure.
In those times and in such peculiar circum-
stances it is not to be- supposed Joseph could
anticipate emergencies and know how 10 act in
each case. Hence be had communications di-
- Ia .
This statement does not, however, give any
authority TO the idle, disconnected, fantastic
imaginings of a sleeper disturbed, i'll, peevish,
tired, dyspeptic. We understand by dream"
in VS.. II, I3, 20. direct revelation from
Heaven.
While the Holy Family were safe, horrible
sceRe was transacted in Bethlehem. Herod
was enraged because the Magi did not return.
Then he was frantic with jealousy, fearing the
Babe might yet become Ruler, displacing his
family from succession He decided TO have
the Child slain at once. But he did not know
which Babe was the one to be dreaded. He had
gathered many particulars from the wise men.
To insure the slaughter Of the real victim he
ordered all male infants below two years of age
TO be killed. We gain q hint here as to the
probable age of the Infant Christ We may
suppose he was one year old. Careful caleula-
ton has been made as to the probable number
thus slain. Bethlehem was a town of about
2.0O0 population. 1t is likely very young babes
were spared-say those below six months of
age. The Greek Church canOnized the slain
children at 14.OoO. OF course. such figures are
absurd We may suppose that about 20 were
killed.
Rachel was a wife of Jacob. She died at
Bethlehem in the year 2266 A. NJ. The Baby
lOnian Captivity took place 1,150 years alter
ward. Jeremiah. the Prophet. was then alive,
and wrote Of the Captivity. In his imaginative
style, he represented the Captivity as such q
terrible, deplorsbIe circumstance that Rachel,
| though buried 1.l50 years before, shed tears at
| the thought her descendants were disgraeed,
50 miserable. Now the murder of the infants
! in Bethlehem took place l. 735 years after Ra-
chel was buried St. Matthew imagined the
event so shocking that Rachel again broke
| forth into tears. III the sadness and disgrace
| of the people Of Judah, assembled at Rama.
| which was their place Of rendezvous Just be-
| fore going TO Babylon-if their sorrow and
shame could so affect the buried Rachel, II
miles off, as to force tears from skeleton sockets.
| how much would she groan at the horrors rag
| ing just above and about her grave at Bethle-
hem7 We see how general in its application is
the prophecy of jeremiah.
| 1t was not long after the departure of the
/ Holy Family from Bethlehem that Herod died
probably not many months passed. The In
| fant Jesus was about one year old when he went
To Egypt. He remained for probably about II
months.
| From earliest times the Staying Of the babes
\ of Bethlehem has been eOmmemOrated on what
is styled Holy Innocents' Day. viz, Dec. ..
/ After Herod's death the Angel again appear
! ed to Joseph. directing his return to Palestine.
| "Out of Egypt have / called my son." (V. l5,)
| is quoted from Hos, IL. 1t does not, as there
| recorded. refer at all to the return of Christ
/ from Egypt. but rather TO the escape of the
| Israelites from bondage 20 Pharaoh. How, then,
| can we account for the statement in V. ID that
| the prophecy of Hosea was fulfilled by the
| Journey of the Infant Jesus back 20 Palestine
| When Hosea wrote that verse he did not act az
a prophet in respect to the deliverance of the
Israelites from Egypt, but as q historian, for he
lived long after the Exodus. IL his language
| were prophetic, it must relate to an event tn.
ture as TO him. As il stands IN his prophecy. il
could never be fulfilled by an event which oc.
Cured in 25l3 A. NJ, the date OF the Exodus.
There are different methods of explanation.
I. Israel WAS q type of Christ. IsrasPs Exodus
was itself q sort of prophecy Of the return OF
Christ from Egypt. God called Israel Ii. e.
the Israelites) His son. (Ex., 4: %. 81 In
Isa., 49, 3, Christ is styled Israel. The type
and the antitype Christi were in Israel jacob
1t was prophecied of both that they should re-
turn from Egypt. They both 80 left that land
In our lesson the antitype practically did what
the type did in the Exodus, to wit, came out Of
Egypt So too, the type WAS called out Oi
Egypt Moses was sent to give the order. as
In our lesson, an Angel is commissioned t0 issue
the direction. There is no ditliculty in the
language of Hosea when regarded simply as
historic declaration and applied to the Exodus